ELLENSBURG, Wash. – A balanced offensive attack was not enough to overcome a hot-hitting host Thursday as the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team suffered a straight-sets loss to Central Washington in a battle for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22, at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats got 15 kills on .583 hitting from outside hitter Makala Swart as the 6th-ranked team in the NCAA Div. II West Region clinched second place outright in the 11-team GNAC and a likely playoff berth with it.

Meanwhile, the regionally 10th-ranked Seawolves were dealt a major setback in their bid for the program’s sixth consecutive NCAA berth.